Attitudes stiffen with senate elections not far away

As the senate elections near, the tussle between the Pakistan People’s Party and Mulsim League (N) is intensifying. The PPP is likely to form a majority in March’s senate elections, making it easier for the ruling party to legislate without undergoing the troubling inconvenience of persuading the inconstant and unpredictable allies.

However, the PML (N) is exerting itself to block the way of PPP in securing the majority. The stunning demand by one of Muslim League’s allies in Punjab Assembly, the leader of unification bloc Dr Tahir Ali, to dissolve the provincial assembly to hold off PPP from winning the elections is something that the latter has not particularly liked.

On Sunday, October 16, the otherwise composed and unexcitable premier Yousaf Raza Gilani hit hard at his rivals, advising them to avoid looking for any shortcuts and await their turn for victory in 2013 elections. In what was one of the sharp responses coming from the PM, Gilani also revealed that 18th amendment’s many clauses were written to benefit Nawaz Sharif.

“After the demise of Benazir Bhutto, it was not in PPP’s interest to remove that clause,” said the prime minister.

He did not stop there. He reminded Sharif that his government somehow put the interest of one person over the entire country. “Sharif should remember that the PPP put the interest of one person [him] over that of 180 million Pakistanis. It is now up to the people to decide whether or not they want to elect him.”

On the other hand, 137 members of the Punjab assembly belonging to both the PPP and its ally Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have now moved a privilege motion against Dr Tahir Ali, calling his suggestion unconstitutional and undemocratic. With the submission of the motion, the PPP has made its intentions known that it would fight on every front.

The characteristically calm Gilani’s stern response to the PML (N) goes on to show that the PPP is not willing to cede any space to the former by showing any more flexibility in the future. With limited choices, it is something intriguing to see how the PML makes its new move.

Posted by Sajjad Hussain on Oct 17 2011. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry